Coastal & Marine Spatial Planning

Coastal & Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) provides a public policy process for society to better determine how these areas are sustainably used and protected - now and for future generations. Successful management of the marine environment needs to be based on the best available science and will require continual information gathering to establish baselines, monitor ecosystems, and evaluate the efficacy of marine spatial plans.

Lack of Oxygen?: Hypoxia in Pacific Northwest Waters

Coastal and estuarine hypoxia, and the resulting dead zones, are becoming an increasingly important issue and concern in the Pacific Northwest. Find out here what scientists have already learned about these seasonal dead zones, and also explore some data to see if hypoxia events are currently creating dead zones off the coast of Oregon and in the Hood Canal in Washington.

Marine Debris

Marine debris can be anything made by humans which ends up abandoned in the marine environment. Marine debris may be intentionally or unintentionally, directly or indirectly discarded into the marine environment. Sources include both ocean based such as cargo ships, fishing vessels, or oil platforms; and land based sources (i.e. carried from roadways to storm drains or other waterways flowing into the ocean).

Rhythms Of Our Coastal Waters - Exhibit featuring Yaquina Bay, Oregon

Check out what happens to salinity, or the amount of salt in the water, in an estuary located in Newport, Oregon. This exhibit is physically located in the Hatfield Marine Science Center Visitors Center and was created to help you, the general public, make sense of what is happening in the bays and estuaries in the Pacific Northwest. The real-time data set linked to this exhibit can be found here and you can find other datasets in the region here. If you have any questions or comments about the exhibit, please contact Sarah Mikulak.